AB 1876, as introduced, Lopez. Pupils: diploma alternatives: language options.
Existing law requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to issue a high school equivalency certificate and an official score report, or an official score report only, to a person who has not completed high school and who meets specified requirements, including, among others, having taken all or a portion of a general education development test that has been approved by the State Board of Education and administered by a testing center approved by the State Department of Education, with a score determined by the state board to be equal to the standard of performance expected from high school graduates.
Commencing July 1, 2017, this bill would prohibit the department from approving or renewing approval of a contractor or testing center to administer the tests described above unless the contractor or testing center provides those tests in the top 5 primary languages used in the contractor or testing center’s service area. The bill would require an examinee to be able to take the test in the offered language of his or her choice.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
The Legislature finds and declares both of the
2following:
3(a) The intention in enacting the Dymally-Alatorre Bilingual
4Services Act was to provide for effective communication between
5all levels of government in this state and the people of this state
6who are precluded from utilizing public services because of
7language barriers.
8(b) It is in the interest of California to reduce language barriers
9in obtaining high school equivalency certificates.
Section 51420.5 is added to the Education Code, to
11read:
(a) Commencing July 1, 2017, the department shall
13not approve or renew approval of a contractor or testing center to
14administer tests for purposes of Section 51420 unless the contractor
15or testing center provides the general educational development
16tests that have been approved by the state board in the top five
17primary languages used in the contractor or testing center’s service
18area.
19(b) An examinee shall be able to take the test in the offered
20language of his or her choice.
21(c) This section is intended to supplement and not supplant any
22other requirements the department adopts for the approval of
23contractors or testing centers under this
article.
O
99